March 22, 2025
Tonse Kawambwa candidate abducted
By Tony Nkhoma
TONSE Alliance Kawambwa ward by-election candidate James Mulenga has allegedly been abducted by Kawambwa District Commissioner Godfrey Chilambwe and offered K70, 000 to withdraw from the race.
Acting Patriotic Front (PF) president Given Lubinda said Mulenga was reportedly being held at a certain lodge where he is being instructed to withdraw his candidature in the April 10 ward by-election.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday, Lubinda said Mulenga who was allegedly abducted on Friday, was briefly given access to a phone by his abductors yesterday, which he used to call his colleagues.
He said Mulenga informed his colleagues that Chilambwe was allegedly demanding that he should withdraw his candidature in exchange for K70, 000.
“We have received very disturbing information from Kawambwa that our candidate for the ward election in Kawambwa by the name of James Mulenga was abducted yesterday by the District Commissioner Godfrey Chilambwe and that he is being held at a lodge in Kawambwa,” Lubinda said.
Lubinda called on United Party for National Development (UPND) chairperson for elections Gary Nkombo to instruct Chilambwe to immediately release Mulenga.
“The police have been notified, our people in Kawambwa have gone to the police station to inform the police about this incident but up to now, we hear that the police have not taken any action,” Lubinda said.
He has since called on Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba to act on the matter.
“For once show us that you are a police officer for Zambians and not a police officer for the hooliganism like Chilambwe and the UPND to abduct a candidate and to force him to withdraw his candidature. That is totally uncalled for in a democratic state,” Lubinda said.
He said Mulenga had not committed any offense for which he should be abducted.
“Contesting an election on the National Congress Party ticket representing Tonse Alliance has put the UPND under panic, we know that the UPND are sensing defeat and they want to curtail this defeat by stopping Mulenga,” Lubinda said.
He has called for Mulenga’s immediate release and urged the people of Kawambwa not to give up but to go to the named lodge and demand for his release.
“Go and stay there until James Mulenga is released. You cannot allow a few people to commit such atrocities and you stand by. Let us go and battle it out on polling day on the April 10, 2025,’’ Lubinda said.
He urged the UPND not to frustrate, scare and intimidate the people of Kawambwa.
“Nkombo should prove to us that he has control of the electoral process in his party. Prove to us that you can instruct the DC [District Commissioner], who directly fall under your office, instruct him now to stop this atrocity” Lubinda said.
